3/31/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch with roast beef sirloin. 14%. Dark opaque bright ruby. Intense nose dark fruits with blackberry, mulberry, black cherry and plum. The palate was slightly more muted than the nose and had some earthiness and spiciness as well. Nice length and balance with some tannin still evident. Overall the wine had a lightness to it which made it seem younger than its 14 years. Perhaps not quite the evolution to make it a really ‘great’ bottle but still wonderful, with plenty of time ahead of it.

3/31/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with cheeses. 13%. Deep garnet. Intense nose of Bramble fruits, smoked bacon, leather, autumn soil after rain and iron filings. Deeply complex and perfectly balanced. Benefitted from lots of air and still great after 4 weeks in opened bottle - so no rush. Just lovely.

4/28/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk with côte de boeuf for lunch . 13%. Medium garnet. A really rather good wine - exceeded expectation. Drinking perfectly. Very well balanced with lots of sweet red fruit, bright acidity and soft tannins. Rather elegant.

4/21/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk with vegetable casserole. 13.5%. Pale bright gold. Some oystershells and minerality with hints of lemon and yellow-stoned fruits. Beautifully balanced and drinking very nicely. No steeliness just a very well rounded wine.

4/15/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk with beef casserole for lunch. 13%. Deep dark dulled garnet. Farmyard, pot-pourri, sour cherries, dark forest fruits and mushroom. Previous bottles have been too tannic and rough but this is now beginning to mellow and gain better balance. It is robust rather than elegant. Good acidity, still some fruit, softening tannins and nice length. Best bottle yet - no rush.

3/31/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch with roast shoulder of lamb. 12.5%. Mid garnet with bricking to rim. Forest berries. Still fresh. Tannins have completely integrated leaving a slight sweetness to the palate. Moderate length. Two bottles consumed - same notes for both. At a great stage of its evolution.

3/30/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with pizzoccheri. 13%. Bright deep ruby. The best showing of this wine I have had. Previously (5 years ago) it has been tannic, dry and hard. This bottle had a lovely nose of raspberries and was smooth and well rounded. Tannins were completely integrated on this occasion. It didn't really go anywhere but it drank very nicely.

3/31/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk with cheeses and pavlova for lunch. 12%. Deep copper/bronze. Amazing nose of stewed ripe apricots. Still has lovely freshness on the palate, but this bottle was probably past its peak. Good length and persistence. Drink up.

3/22/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk on its own. 8.5%. Medium bright gold. Strong kerosene nose. Fresh citrus, and ripe fruits of green apple, pear, yellow plum and cantaloupe melon. The sugar is not prominent - just present to level out the acidity. So well balanced - just perfect to drink on its own. Improved and really great on day 7-10. Perhaps just lacking some breadth and complexity to be first rank. No rush.

3/16/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch of brown shrimp salad. 13% Deep rich dark gold. A nose of butterscotch, ripe cantaloupe melon, butter and walnuts. It is bone dry with hints of almond (with the bitterness), and citrus zest. Only moderate length overall. Still a lovely wine with some complexity.

3/10/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with lamb cutlets. 14%. A mid-garnet with bricking to the edge. Morello cherries, tar, black cherries - very vinous. Tannins still present but do not overwhelm - they have settled in very nicely. Plenty of acidity keeps it fresh. Really enjoyable - even better the next day so will last a few more years.

3/9/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch with beef casserole. 13.5%. Rich garnet. Initial impression quite bubble-gummy and very young. Left to air overnight. Rich nose of hedgerow fruits, blackcurrant leaf, leather and cedar. Lovely balance and very smooth tannins. A lovely wine with years to go. Probably not yet at its best.

2/18/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch of boeuf bourguignon. 12.5%. Deep opaque garnet with bricking to rim. A nose of haunting complexity. Ripe sour cherries, damsons, leather, bacon fat, sandal wood and lots more. Firm acidity and mellow tannins make for smooth drinking. Great length. There are so many elements in this wine. A veritable cornucopia! Just delicious! At peak and likely to last another decade easily.

2/14/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of salmon en croute. 13%. Medium ruby with bricking at the rim. Great nose of dried cherries, leather, bilberry, cranberry and mushroom that carried through onto the palate which also had notes of smokiness. The aftertaste was reminiscent of an Islay whisky with all its complexities. Great balance, refreshing acidity and very smooth tannins. The finish was very long. In perfect, peak condition. Nothing overblown or over-extracted. Everything is in perfect place - just a great bottle of claret. Still just as good on fourth day. Amazing!

1/26/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of pasta arrabbiata. 15%. Deep opaque garnet. This was rather tannic and unbalanced - drying and astringent on first day. However, it gradually transformed itself and was much better on days 2 and 3 - the tannins were less obtrusive and the fruit more in evidence, with stewed black fruits - plums and cherries. By days 6 and 7 the fruit had faded to leave good structure with notes of forest floor, tapenade, truffle and leaf mould. Overall, a lovely wine at its best, but clearly needs lots of air or another 5 years in the cellar.

1/14/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of roast aubergine and then cheeses. 13.5%. Deep ruby with no bricking. Lovely nose of dark fruits - ripe plums and cherries, mulberries. Some earthiness. Tannins soft and in perfect balance with acidity which is very much in evidence although there is also a sweetness present. Just delicious. Best bottle I have had of this so far; so reaching peak now but will last for many years.

1/14/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of humus and toast. 13%. Pale bright gold. Intense nose of vanilla, butter, aniseed, citrus, yellow fruits with some smokiness. Full with great richness balanced by the crisp acidity. Has good length. Really lovely now.

1/14/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with blue cheese biscuits. 12.5%. Pale bright gold. Very full mousse and fine bead. Notes of bruised apple, quince, white flowers and a little nutiness. Firm acidity. Fresh, balanced and drinking very nicely. It will be interesting to see whether it gains complexity over the next 5-10 years. No rush to drink.

1/1/2024 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch of poached trout. 14%. Medium bright gold. Stewed yellow plums with cream, buttery elements, some minerality as well. Nice balance, richness and complexity. Lovely wine - best bottle I have had - so at peak for my palate.

12/30/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of cheeses and profiteroles. 7.5%. Very pale gold. Orange, celery, mango and ripe peaches with an underlying core of minerality. All the paradoxes of Mosel - feather light yet great body, richly sweet yet perfectly balanced by sharp acidity, in a way simple yet amazingly complex, ethereal yet enduring. It reminded me of the most perfect fresh juicey orange imaginable (not in a cooked marmalade way at all) - sweet orangey citrus with impeccable balancing acidity. Amazing and wonderful. In a word - superb!! Will this be even better with time?? - maybe!

12/30/2023 - Mon.Maultiere wrote:

Drunk for dinner of roast pork and braised cabbage. 15%. Deep dark ruby. Blackcurrant, stewed plum, black cherries. A hedonistic wine with an intense nose but lacking that extra dimension of complexity that makes it truly interesting. Stewed fruit, moderate tannins, high alcohol - smooth and rich - rather New World for me. Somehow this didn’t align with my palate today. I’m not quite sure where this will go.

12/27/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of squash and bean stew. Screw cap. 14%. Bright gold. Mineral, citrus with hints of mango and ripe nectarine. Good body and nice amount of acidity keeping it lively. No signs of fading. Lacking complexity to make it really interesting but a nice wine.

12/17/2023 - Mon.Maultiere wrote:

Drunk for dinner of mushroom pithiviers. 13.5%. Translucent mid-garnet. Subdued dark fruits. Quite ripe overall. Tannins barely present. Smooth and easy drinker without any challenging qualities. A bit too dull to be engaging.

11/18/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

(A. P. Nr. 20 05) From a 375ml. Drunk for dinner with roasted pineapple and coconut ice cream. 9%. Amber. This has huge intensity and complexity. Superb balance and great length. The sugar is still present but very much has settled into the background. Maple, quince, all spice, baked pineapple, star anise, baked apple, bananas, floor wax and green apple. There is still plenty of firm acidity that makes it so fresh on the tongue, cleanses the palate and completely balances out the sugar. An amazing wine - kaleidoscopic - it takes you to another place!

11/18/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of braised ox cheek. 14.5%. Deep, opaque garnet. Stewed black fruits - plums and cherries - with damp forest floor and truffles. A bit of warmth from the alcohol was in evidence. The tannins were still there but had blended in well. Overall it was better on day 2 with the extra air. Nice balance and length. A very good, mature Gigondas - this bottle was drinking really rather well.

12/2/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Disgorged July 2007. Drunk with parmesan biscuits. 12%. A rich, pale, amber-gold. A brief, thin mousse with only the faintest of beads left. This is clearly now a shadow of former glories. It still has a great mouthfeel. The acidity is soft and well balanced by what is left of the fruit with nutty, creamy and slightly oxidative notes. It retains great structure and some length. It has been stored perfectly from purchase and I note similar TNs from others. Obviously this has turned out not to be a long lived wine and this bottle has lost most of its 'champagne' characteristics. While it appears to be very much on the downhill slope, it has become a fascinating wine as a result and very enjoyable to drink.

12/2/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with smoked salmon. 12%. Pale yellow gold. Bright and fresh - no signs of age. Fennel, white currants and citrus notes with a lot of minerality. Very nicely balanced with moderate length. Best on third day so likely to last for a few more years but drinking beautifully at the moment.

11/16/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

(A. P. Nr. 08 22) Drunk for dinner of partridge pithiviers. 12.5%. Bright pale gold. Subtle tropical fruits, yellow plums, a bit of lemon curd and just a faint hint of kerosene. Perfectly balanced with a luscious mouthfeel. All the elements are there but time will broaden its spectrum. It was a mistake to drink this so young - already a lovely wine but will score higher in 5-10 years.

11/10/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

13%. Pale yellow gold. It took quite a long time to really open up and show of its best. Almonds, tinned pineapple, tarragon, lemon, fennel, lobster, lime, and some chalkiness - such complexity. A wonderful mineral wine. There is lovely structure and richness. It has completely thrown off its early sauvignon blanc characteristics and now is a fully formed, mature wine. It has great balance, length and persistence. There is no rush to drink this.

11/4/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with spinach and ham pie. 14%. Still deep dark ruby. Notes of black olive tapenade, wet earth, with hints of stewed black plums. Tannins are nicely integrated giving the wine a very smooth feel. Not a particularly complex wine but it has no rough edges and is easy to drink. Now in its fully mature phase but will easily last another 5 years.

10/30/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with green tomato curry. 14%. Rich bright gold. Very intense nose of kaleidoscopic flavours - tropical and ripe stone fruits - mango, pineapple, apricot, papaya, peach with caramel and honey. Great richness and weight; great length and freshness. Just enough acidity to balance the sweetness to give it some sharpness and avoid cloyingness - but it is on the sweeter side of off-dry. If you like the style then this is a wine to savour. Still going strong - amazing gewurztraminer!

9/24/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch with sausages and roast vegetables. 14.5%. Cork also broke in two but there was no evidence of seepage. Deep, dark garnet. Still remarkably youthful for its age. Leaf mould, earth, leather and stewed dark fruits. Carried its alcohol well. Tannins were well integrated. It will easily keep going another 10 years. Neither a wine to question or to challenge the drinker - just overall a very smooth wine that's easy to drink.

8/25/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with coriander and cucumber soup. 14.5%. Pale yellow gold. Perfumed nose of jasmine, orange blossom and citrus progressing onto peach and tarragon on the palate with lots of minerality Great balance, poise and length. Nothing in excess - very well judged. Lovely wine.

8/26/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with gougeres. 12%. Pale gold with a very fine gentle bead. Great length and persistence - the finish lasted a very long time. A very nuanced, well-balanced wine. The acidity kept it youthful and lively without being obtrusive and in fact the wine appeared slightly sweet - in a rich, full, mellow way. There was brioche, iced buns and ripe stone fruits. Drinking beautifully but still lots of life left. Overall, an amazing bottle of champagne - Symphonic! Masterful! Moving!

3/18/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

6%. From 375ml. The colour is deep amber brown - or medium maple syrup. It is thick and intense with very long legs in the glass. There is still plenty of sweetness that makes it rather unctuous but then the acidity kicks in, relieving the palate and leaving a fresh aftertaste. It is not cloying - the balance is so good. It is verging on Essencia in richness. It is pure tarte tatin and honey roast figs, with notes of citrus and ripe peach. A rather special wine. It will probably last another 50 years.

8/6/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

13.5%. From 375ml. Deep dark amber. Caramel, tarte tatin, honey glazed peaches, with a touch of seashore iodine. Good acidity contrasts the sweetness well allowing the wine to dance across the tongue. The texture is quite viscous. A hint of oxidation on the nose, not present on the palate, gives it an extra dimension. An impressive sweet wine that is probably reaching the end of its peak.

7/30/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of Boeuf Bourgignon. 14.5%. Medium garnet. Raspberry, red cherries, blackcurrants and blackberries merging into spices, pepper and hints of chilli-chocolate. This is ageing very nicely and is probably at its peak. Tannins have softened but are still present and the fruit is still very much in evidence. The palate was a little weaker than the nose and it has moderate length. Overall, a very nice wine in a very good place.

6/18/2023 - Mon.Maultiere wrote:

Drunk for dinner of beef fillet and roast aubergine. 14.7%. Rich deep garnet. Nose of blackcurrents and blackberries. Tannins still very much in evidence. A bit two dimensional, lacking complexity and evolution, even though it was rich and full. Has moderate length with the alcohol evident throughout. Overall felt heavy going after the first glass. Good potential on the nose but then increasingly disappointing and hard work. Out of balance for my palate. It is a fierce wine that needs a large chunk of meat to tame.

6/10/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of prawn tempura. 15%. Vibrant pale gold. Oaked nose with vanilla, cream, smoked butter, nutty and tropical fruit notes with stoney minerality. Nicely balanced with plenty of acidity. Rich and full but not heavy - well judged. This is still very young and with time this should develop more complexity which could edge the score upwards. However, this is already a very good New World chardonnay.

Last of the bottle retasted after 2 months open in the fridge. As above, but with more lemon cheesecake and greater minerality over tropical fruitiness.

6/14/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk on its own before dinner. 12%. Disgorged 2009. Lovely bright deep rich gold. Very good mousse and nice strong fine bead. Brioche, citrus, fresh champignon, nuts, with some subtle sherry notes that add to its complexity. Needed 20-30 minutes to really open up. Lovely length, great balance with really fresh crisp acidity. It just kept evolving with ever more nuance. An excellent champagne in a great place.

6/9/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with roasted pepper quiche. 14%. Deep rich yellow gold. Nose shows great complexity. Marzipan, grapefruit, roasted pineapple, lovely dry minerality with a touch of honeysuckle. A little short on the finish. Just enough acidity to keep it nicely balanced with a rich mouth feel. This wine continues to become more interesting with age. It has always impressed me and really shows what can be done with Pinot Grigio. It is now very much in its mature phase and won't get better - so drink up.

5/16/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

13.0%. Under screw-cap. Rich bright gold. Stoney mountain stream, pineapple, peach, ripe tropical fruits, and real minerality. There is more complexity and intensity on the palate than the nose. Very good length, balance and intensity - and real persistence. Lovely overall. Better with a lot of air at this stage.

5/15/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with ox-tail ravioli. 13.5%. Deep, rich gold. Honeysuckle, marzipan, pineapple, lime, salinity and pine resin. Great texture. Very good length and balance. A lovely wine.

5/7/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with mushroom and asparagus risotto. 13%. Deep garnet - no bricking at the rim. Black olive tapenade, sweaty leather and earth floor evolving with air into notes of morello cherry and blackcurrants. Tannins completely softened, velvety texture, soft acidity and wonderful balance - perfect harmony between all the elements. Great length and persistence with nice evolution. A really great wine in a great place at the moment. Benefitted from some air - likely to last for another decade.

3/18/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner of beef, roasted beets and truffled mash potato. 14%. Opaque black garnet. Menthol, mulberry, blackberry, raspberry, black cherries, black plums, cassis, cognac. Beautifully balanced, tannins very smooth and soft, good acidity and wonderful length. This is a great wine with staying power for a few more decades.

3/18/2023 - Mon.Maultiere wrote:

Drunk for dinner with cheeses. 15%. Opaque deep black ruby. Pencil shavings and tobacco with some hints of stewed black fruits mixed in. It was clearly well made but just didn't feel balanced, with the tannins being very much in evidence. Things didn't get any better over two weeks in an opened bottle.
This was my first bottle of a case which has been stored correctly from new. Overall, I was left feeling disappointed considering the TNs from others, with the wine being drying and lacking fruit. Maybe it was in a dumb phase - the next one will tell. However, my impression today was of a wine past its prime, having lost its fruit leaving only the tannins.

4/16/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with duck rillettes. 14.5%. Dark, opaque, black ruby. Hints of pepper and spice, stewed black fruits and fallen over-ripe plums trodden into the earth. Moderate length and good acidity. Clearly well made in a "New World" kind of way, however, slightly heavy going for my palate. Best enjoyed by the glass rather than bottle. Still going strong, so no rush.

4/10/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for lunch with roast leg of lamb. 14%. Almost opaque, dark ruby. This wine has always underwhelmed me in the past - but not today. Two bottles drunk - one had more funkiness than the other, but this settled down and both bottles were wonderful. Full and dense with red fruits and some black fruits. Tannins and acids present but well balanced and unobtrusive. A slight sweetness to it which gave it richness. Very good length. A real joy to drink.

4/10/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk with roast lamb. 14.5%. Medium garnet. Cherries, red fruits and earthy tarriness. Good length and acidity which gives it very good balance. Some tannin but not too heavy, and this is beginning to be nicely integrated. Improved over 2-3 days in opened bottle. Drinking well now but with a few more years this should gain complexity and is likely to score higher.

3/18/2023 - Mon.Maultiere Likes this wine:

Drunk for dinner with partridge ravioli. 13.5%. Pale bright yellow gold. Quite mineral with hints of gunflint, pomello, aniseed, walnuts, butter and citrus peel. Very nicely balanced and good length overall. Good acidity - very crisp and clean. A pure, refined, and slightly reserved GC Burgundy. It certainly doesn't shout at you - but the elements are there if you look for them. I'm not sure this has peaked yet and it will surely be good for at least another decade.